hicks



(No Mode1.)'

- G. D.. HICKS.

INTEREST GALCIILAIINGr DEVICE.

Patented Mar. I3, 1888.

qfvtheooeo Zgo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE D. HICKS, OF SIOUX CITY, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T EDWARD L.HICKS, OF SAME PLACE.

INTEREST-CALCULATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,536, dated March13, 1888.

Application filed September 30, 1887. y Serial No. 251,118.

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. HICKS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sioux` City, in the county of Voodbury and State of Iowa,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inInterest-Calculating Devices; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being hadto the annexed drawing, making a part of this specification, and to theletters and gures of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements ininterest-calculators, and has for its object to .simplify and cheapenthe construction and render more efficient in operation and accurate incalculation this class of devices.

To the above ends and to such others as the invention may pertain thesame consists in the peculiar combinations and the novel construction,arrangement, and adaptation of parts, all as more fully hereinafterdescribed, and then particularly defined by the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which, together with the letters ofreference marked thereon, forms a part of this specification, myinvention is shown in perspective with parts broken away to more clearlyillustrate the interior mechanism.

Referring by letter to the said drawing, A designates a hollow'rectangular case or box, the top of which is made removable and isconstructed as follows: The parta, which extends nearly but not quitehalf across the box, is provided upon its inner top edge with a seriesor plurality of divisions, as b, shown in the drawing as marked withnumbers running only as high as three hundred, (800;) but in practicethe number may be increased to suit the purpose for which the calculatoris to be used. At the foot of the bottom numbered division is anotherdivision, c, subdivided as shown, namely: On the upper division isplaced the word Months7 and on the lower the word Days,7 for the purposehereinafter described. The part B of the cover or top of the box isprovided upon its face with a plurality of transverse parallel grooves,d, in which work the shanks or stems e of the slides C, a

5o strip or cleat, f, being secured across the inner (No model.)

top edge of the part B to prevent displacement of said shanks.

To the under side of the part B, in a recess therein, so as to be flushwith the under face thereof, is a metal strip, D, which serves as asupport and guide for the slides. At its ends this strip is extended, asshown at g, to cover and prevent rising of the edges of the belt, soonto be described. These slides C are offset vertically from their Shanks,so as to bring them upon a lower plane, as shown. The shanks are eachprovided with a suitable thumb-piece, by which they can be manipulatedwhen desired, each independent of the other. When the slides are alldrawn to the left, a slit or opening is left between the adjacent edgesof the parts c and B, or rather between the part a and the stripD. Inthe drawing only portions of this opening are seen, as most of theslides are shown as extended to the right. The slit, if open its fulllength, would show a column of igures (on the belts, soon to bedescribed) comprising the interest for the respective amounts along theleft side of the slit for the number of months and days seen at the footof the slit. When the slides are in place, the slit is entirely closed,with the exception of the two spaces opposite the words Months]7 andDays,77 which are always open.

Suitablyjournaled in the ends of the box are the rollers E F, in pairs,only one of each pair, however, being shown in the drawing, and aroundeach pair of rollers passes an endless belt, G H, of paper, cloth, orother suitable material, upon which are arranged theinterestcalculations for the twelve months and for the thirty-one days.The belts pass one over the other, and when they are made of anon-transparent material the upper one should be perforated to allow thefigures on the under one to be readily seen; but I prefer to use oiledsilk or some analogous material, through which the figures on the underbelt may be readily seen. The horizontal rows of figures on the twobelts are arranged upon different planes, so as to be both visible, onebelow the other. The top belt I term the monthbelt and the lower beltthe day-belt.

The day-belt may sometimes be provided with three extra columns forthirty-three, sixty- ICO three, and ninety-th ree days, (convenientdiscount days,) and at the foot of each column is noted the number ofdays for which the calculations inthat column are made. The month sheetor belt is arranged precisely the same, except, of course, that thecalculations are for months and there are only twelve columns. Thismonthsheet, having but about onethird only of the distance to travelthat the day-sheet has, may, instead of being an endless belt, bearranged to wind aroundits rollers at either end instead of revolvingover them.

The belts or sheets are moved by means of suitable cranks or thumb-nutson the spindles of their rollers, and to regulate the tension of thebelts and to keep them at all times taut I provide suit-ableadjlisting-screws, s, as shown.

In order to elevate the sheets at the open-` ing, so as to bring theiigures in plain sight, and avoid the necessity of peering down into thehole between the two slides, I place directly beneath the opening astrip, I, as shown.

The operation is as follows: Suppose we wish to find the interest onthree hundred and ninetyseven dollars for six months. Turn the day-belttill the blank space is opposite the word Days on the cover; then turnthe montlrbelt till 6 7 appears opposite the word Months on the cover,(all the slides being to the right;) then move to the left the slidesopposite 300, 90,7 and 7, and add together the amounts shown on thebelt, and we have eleven dollars and ninetyone cents, the interest onthree hundred and ninety-seven dollars for six months. If we desire toknow the interest on the same amount for six months and twenty-two days,we leave the slides and the month-belt as before and turn the day-belttill 22 appears opposite Days7 and then add the amounts shown on the twobelts.

The device is simple, inexpensive, not liable to get out of order, andby its use the interest can be quickly and accurately ascertained.

Vhat I claim as new isl. The combination, with the case having avertical opening and the sheets provided with figures denotinginterest-ealeulations and pass ing` horizontally one over the other inparallel planes, of transverse slides controlling said opening, as setforth.

2. The combination, with the case havinga central vertical opening andthe transverselymoving sheets bearing iigures indicatinginterest-ealculations land passing horizontally one over the other inparallel planes, of independently-movable transverse slides controllingsaid opening, as set forth.

3. The combination, with a case having a central vertical opening andthe belts bearing gures indicating interest-calculations and passinghorizontally one over the other in parallel planes, of anelevating-strip arranged beneath said belts at said opening, as and forthe purpose speeitied.

4. The combination, with the ease having a vertical opening and aplurality of numbered divisions upon one side of, said opening, of aplurality of transverse slides arranged one opposite each division andadapted to close or disclose a portion of said opening and the two beltseach bearing interest-calculations and passing horizontally one over theother in parallel planes, as set forth.

5. The combination, with a ease having an opening in its cover, numbereddivisions upon one side of said opening and beneath the cover, andtransversely-moving sheets bearing figures indicatinginterest-calculations, of the part B, provided upon its face withtransverse parallel grooves and cleat j", and the slides having shanksworking in said grooves beneath said cleat, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

GEO. D. HICKS.

Vitnesses:

ALONZO L. D. Onsli'r, W. L. Fnosr.

